The Dancing Dragon, Mark II
by May Romance
Summary: A young Iroh II learns some very important lessons from his knowledgeable grandfather. Many years later, he reflects on these truths before facing the greatest firebending masters of the age. No pairings, two-shot.


_help guys I started writing again someone stop me_

**Disclaimer:** All content therein is completely owned by Bryke & Nickelodeon. I merely had some fun with the characters c:

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"Grandpa, grandpa! Do that again!"

With his arms as wings and his voice a ferocious growl, Fire Lord Zuko threw his head back and roared. A golden fireball erupted from his lungs, billowing dangerously close to the carved ceiling.

"All hail the dragon king!" His grandson crowed, dancing around him in an erratic circle. "All hail the dragon king!"

Lord Zuko chuckled deeply and put a finger to his lips. "Not so loud, Iroh. We don't want your mother hearing us."

Iroh looked up at him with pleading eyes. "But you're a dragon. They're not quiet…"

A humoured smile tugged at the Fire Lord's lips. He gingerly kneeled down to his grandson's eye level and placed an ageing hand on his shoulder. "I know a remarkable story about silent dragons. Would you like to hear it?"

"Oh, oh! Yes please!" Iroh jumped on the spot eagerly before quickly snapping to attention. Zuko gently tapped a spot on the floor beside him, which Iroh hastily filled. He glanced at his grandfather with curious amber eyes.

With sage-like composure, Lord Zuko began his tale. Small flames danced around his hands as he spoke.

"Long ago, when I was just a boy, I went on a special journey with Avatar Aang. We travelled to solve a most perplexing mystery – the great _disappearance of my firebending!_" With a swirl of his arms, the room was plunged into darkness. Zuko's nose crinkled at the smell of smoking candle wicks.

Iroh let out an enthralled gasp. "You _lost _it?" The notion frightened him. He loved fire. It was warm, fleeting, and free. The idea of not having it… was very scary.

Lord Zuko cupped his hands together and breathed into them. As tiny embers fluttered within his palms, he noticed the light dancing in his grandson's huge eyes. He levelled his hands and brought the fire closer to Iroh with dramatic flair. "This was all I could make. Since Avatar Aang needed a teacher, we had to find my fire, and quickly."

"We searched high and low at the ancient temple of the great Sun Warriors. Everything was old, everything was crumbling, and there were _booby traps_ in every corner! Spikes, falling rocks, trip wires, and golden gemstones…"

Iroh stared with wonder and amazement as Zuko waved his arms around and created burning illustrations of these events in the air around them. He especially loved how the Fire Lord depicted_The Dancing Dragon_, laughing with his grandfather at going toe to toe with the Avatar. The young boy was on the edge of his seat by the time Zuko and Aang were captured.

"In order to restore my firebending, I had to visit two very special masters," the Fire Lord continued, shaping his fire into two human figures. He tried hard to contain the smirk that was forming on his lips. The surprise would be better this way, and it was true to his own experiences, too. "It wasn't easy to convince the Sun Chief. The masters were to judge our worthiness…Aang had neglected the world for a hundred years, and both I and my lineage had done terrible things."

"Terrible things, grandpa?" Iroh questioned, his head titling. 'But you're the Fire Lord. You're so strong and brave."

"Everyone makes mistakes, little dragon. The best thing to remember is that you can learn from them." He smiled warmly at Iroh, and put a hand on his shoulder. "To meet the masters, both of us needed to carry a piece of ancient fire-"

Zuko paused mid-sentence to see Iroh proudly holding out his hands. He chuckled and created a tiny flame inside his descendant's small palms, pleased to see him cradle it tenderly.

"- and present it to them outside the caves. To reach them, we journeyed up a long hill, and found ourselves at the base of two ginormous rocks. Then, with an almighty chorus, the Sun Warriors began to chant, and we ascended to the peak. Once at the top, we stretched out our arms to display our fire. And then…"

"And then?" Iroh interjected eagerly, pushing on his grandfather's knee.

"…there was silence."

Iroh's expression turned from excitement to confusion. Wasn't something going to happen now?

"The stillness was deafening. Only our crackling fire and racing heartbeats could be heard." Zuko then ceased talking, and closed his eyes peacefully. He remained this way for several minutes, even when Iroh started to get fidgety. He was a good child and was expertly raised, but he always took great pleasure when it came to stories.

"And then, there were _dragons!_"

The young prince gasped in surprise and scooted back as his grandfather shifted forward. Zuko manoeuvred his arms with intensity, unleashing wondrous flame-dragons with his skilful bending. They hissed and crackled and swooped around the study, sending sparks and embers every which way. Iroh was too amazed to say a word. _His grandfather had met wild dragons!_

As the dragons continued to swirl around with minds of their own, the Fire Lord gazed wistfully upward. "Ran and Shaw were the biggest, most intimidating creatures I had ever seen. At that time, I felt so small and insignificant. The shock of their appearance meant my piece of flame vanished, leaving the masters to swoop around us expectantly. Then, Aang had the most ridiculous yet wonderful idea."

"What did you do?"

"We performed _The Dancing Dragon_."

"You danced? For _dragons_?"

"In hindsight, the idea was quite humorous. But that we did." _Although,_ Zuko mused, _it was technically a firebending form…_

Iroh openly laughed. "And then what?"

Zuko glanced down at Iroh furtively, looking smug. "They danced with us."

His grandson went quiet in respect. Grandfather Zuko and Avatar Aang must have been very special for them to respond like that.

"And then…came the loudest silence of my life. Ran and Shaw hovered in front of each of us, staring us down, and judged us both. Such mighty beasts, and the only sound they produced in that moment were powerful wing beats."

Lord Zuko's face then turned grave. "Then, with a mighty breath, they engulfed us with fire."

Iroh blinked in shock, then thought hard. Why didn't Lord Zuko have the burns to prove it?

The Fire Lord smirked. "By engulfed, I mean they encircled us with a fire tornado."

The young boy let out a tiny breath he was subconsciously holding.

"It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, Iroh," Zuko murmured, captivated by his vivid memories. "Words cannot describe what I witnessed that day. You would have loved to see it." He looked down to see Iroh squeezing his eyes shut in an effort to imagine what he described.

"Do you… do you think I could visit the dragons? One day?"

"One day," his grandfather assured, looking at his wistful expression with delight. "When you are ready, Ran and Shaw will be waiting for you."

With much excitement, Iroh let out a loud whoop and threw his hands into the air. Fiery sparks leapt off his fingers in delight. Zuko laughed in response, then gently pulled his grandson's tiny hands into his own.

"There's something I'm about to tell you that's very important, little dragon. Promise me you'll remember?"

"I promise, grandpa!" Iroh smiled wide.

"When you were firebending just then, how did you feel?"

"…really happy. Like I could do anything!"

"Let that happiness and joy for life always power your bending. That is the greatest lesson the dragons ever taught me. Fire is a beautiful and wild element, and it gives energy and passion to our people and the world. If you remember that, your fire will always burn strong."

Iroh looked at him quizzically as he tried to process this meaningful information.

"Even if it isn't quite clear now," Zuko mused, "it will become so in the future. Until then, never forget your passion."

After concluding his Uncle-Iroh-inspired lesson, the Fire Lord then conjured a glorious fire phoenix in the air. It let out a piercing cry, tumbling through the air in magnificent ripples of fire.

Just then, muffled footsteps could be heard near the study door.

"What's going on in there, Fire Lord?"

Zuko's shoulders tensed up at the sound of his daughter's voice. His fire phoenix appeared to perch on Iroh's shoulder, looking around with bewilderment to match its creator. It rapidly shrank down into a tiny chick as the ornate door creaked loudly in protest at swinging open.

"Why on earth are you firebending in the study, Dad?" Iroh's mother held the door open defiantly. "You're teaching my son bad habits! Soon the palace will be on fire because he's learned your ways."

Her father put his hands up in defeat, and all traces of firebending vanished. Iroh looked sadly at his now vacant shoulder, but Zuko dropped him a sly wink.

"You've made yourself clear, princess. Well, looks like it's time to scurry off, grandson. Your mother will probably have a word me later."

Iroh suppressed a giggle as his mother led him out of the room. She was the only one who could scold the Fire Lord in such a way, being his only daughter and the heir to the throne.

"Just remember what I told you!" Zuko called on their way out. As the fire princess tried to undo the damage her father's household rule breaking had done, Iroh caught a glimpse of light as the door closed. A tiny spark of fire raced through the closing gap and swirled around his waist before perching behind his ear.

He smiled knowingly to himself as he was led down the hallway, hearing tiny, happy fire chirps inside his ear all the way to his room.


End file.
